


Takes one to know one

by rileynoah



Series: #DanversSistersWeek [3]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: DanversSistersWeek, F/F, Gen, Languages, Nerds just Nerding around, THESE FUCKING DORKS, day three
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-29
Updated: 2017-08-29
Packaged: 2018-12-21 08:22:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 984
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11940159
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rileynoah/pseuds/rileynoah
Summary: Day Three of #DanversSistersWeek: Nerd Sisters.The Danvers Sisers are the nerdiest nerds in all of nerdville.





	Takes one to know one

**Author's Note:**

> LIGHT FLUFFY NERDNESS FOR YOUR READING PLEASURE. prepare yourselves for day seven. the angst will be UNLEASHED.
> 
> Mad props to [Olive](http://404artnotfound.tumblr.com) for the beta.
> 
> [catch me on tumblr.](http://letswreakhavoc.tumblr.com)

Kara Zor-El is the biggest nerd in the galaxy. 

She herself would argue that the title should actually go to her sister, but Alex doesn’t agree. She may be a nerd on Earth, in english. But Kara Zor-El is a nerd on at least fifteen different planets and in twice as many languages.

The first thing Alex asks of Kara when she lands on earth, after the awkward ‘my new sister is an alien’ moment, is for Kara to teach her Kryptonian. Alex has always wanted to be bilingual. Now she gets to be bilingual with an _alien language._

And it works out being the best decision either one of them has made, because now Kara will always have someone to converse with in her native tongue, _and_ Eliza will never know what they’re talking about when they switch from English. 

One language turns to two, turns to three, turns to four. By the time the pair of them are in college, Alex can fluently speak six earth languages and two different dialects of Kryptonian. Kara can speak upwards of thirty alien dialects, along with the six earth languages she and Alex had learnt together. 

They take turns in picking the languages to study. The fairly obvious ones come first. But by the time they’re learning their eighth earth language, Alex wants to delve into something a little more unique. 

“You have to be joking.”

“I’m not.”

Kara stares at her sister. 

“You want to learn a fictional alien language instead of a real one.”

“I want to be able to speak Klingon fluently before Winn can.”

“I mean, I knew you were a nerd.” Kara teases. “But this is a whole new level.”

“Don’t you want to beat him?” Alex asks, incredulous. “And if we don’t tell him, then we’ll be able to figure out what he mutters under his breath when he loses at Game Night.”

Kara considers it for a moment, squinting at Alex.

“You know you want to.”

Kara huffs out a sigh.

“Fine, but next we’re learning Swedish.”

Alex sticks out her hand to shake Kara’s. “You’ve got yourself a deal.”

It all ends up worth it at game night a few months down the line when Winn mutters something along the lines of _‘sucks to suck’_ under his breath in Klingon, and Alex overhears him. She waits for the new round of Mario Kart to load up, the little countdown beeping before she leans over to whisper in his ear, catching Kara’s gaze as she goes.

_“I will destroy you.”_ In perfect Klingon.

Winn leaps directly off of the couch, knocking over the entire bowl of popcorn as he goes. It takes Kara and Alex a full ten minutes to calm down enough to high five, slinging their arms over each other’s shoulders.

“Totally worth it.”

“Did you two learn Klingon just to threaten me?”

Alex and Kara glance at each other and grin.

“Pretty much.”

“Unbelievable.” Winn mutters, picking popcorn out of his hair and from under his t-shirt. 

When Maggie comes into their lives, specifically Alex’s, the next language she chooses to learn with Kara is italian.

Kara teases her for three days before they finally sit down and start to learn. 

Alex works harder on italian than she had on any other language they’d learned before. Save Kryptonian. But she never tells Maggie, waiting for the best moment to surprise her. It comes when Maggie’s aunt is in town, and they are all having dinner together, Kara included. 

“Mi piace questa uno, Maggie. Si dovrebbe tenere lei.”

Alex stutters and blushes, almost choking on her bite of food. It distracts Maggie from answering her aunt, her focus on making sure Alex is okay. 

“Grazie, Rosa.” Alex murmurs. Maggie sits in stunned silence, looking between her sheepish girlfriend and her equally stunned aunt.

“I didn’t know you spoke Italian.” Maggie breaths out in awe.

“I didn’t.” Alex admits. “I started learning just after we met.” 

Maggie’s eyes grow even wider at Alex’s admission, and Kara honestly feels like her heart is going to explode from the amount of love and adoration in Maggie’s eyes. She’s so happy for her sister. 

“Sicuramente la tieni. Lei ti ama..” Rosa finally breaks her silence, chuckling. Alex and Maggie have matching grins.

“Ti amo. Faccio davvero.” Alex whispers, mostly to Maggie.

Kara clutches at her chest dramatically. “Il mio cuore.”

Maggie startles again, turning to face Kara with wide eyes.

“You too?”

“Oh, uh-” Alex smiles nervously. “Languages have always sort of been our thing. We always learn together.” 

“You do?”

“Yeah, ever since we adopted her.” Alex nods. “I learnt her native language, and then we started learning other languages together.” 

Maggie coos at them. “Aw. Nerd runs in the family.”

Alex scoffs and shoves her playfully. “You’re one to talk.”

A few months later, Kara gets her own chance to learn a language for a girl.

“Gaelic?” Alex asks curiously, noting the way Kara fidgets awkwardly. Kara nods shyly, rubbing at the back of her neck.

“Lena’s birth family was Irish, and she went back for boarding school when she was older. She learnt the language to sort of… keep home close.”

Alex hums in understanding.

“Trying to impress the girl, ey?” 

“Shut up.”

Alex pulls Kara in for a hug, kissing her temple.

“Let’s learn some Irish then, huh?” Alex pulls away, clapping her hands excitedly. Kara had learnt Italian with her all for the sake of Maggie. The least she could do is return to favour. 

“Do you think we’ll ever stop learning languages?” Kara asks curiously, three hours later, after their first Irish study period has come to a close.

“Nah.” Alex drawls, spooning some ice cream into her mouth slowly. “It will always be our thing.”

Kara glances up at Alex, smiling. “Promise?”

Alex nods, leaning up to kiss Kara on the cheek. “Promise.”

**Author's Note:**

> Translations:
> 
> _Mi piace questa uno, Maggie. Si dovrebbe tenere lei._ = I like this one, Maggie. You should keep her.
> 
> _Sicuramente la tieni. Lei ti ama._ = Definitely keep her. She loves you.
> 
> _Ti amo. Faccio davvero._ = I love you. I really do.
> 
> _Il mio cuore._ = My heart.
> 
> These are legit just spat out of google translate so if you speak italian and these are wrong, i'm so sorry. I'm a simple White Person with absolutely no culture.


End file.
